Das Mädchen in Rot - Chpt 9 [English - US]
Das Mädchen in Rot [English - US]
.jpg)
Description:
Das Mädchen in Rot (German: The girl in red) is a dark version adaptation from the original story wrote by Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm. The adaptation tells the story of Nella - a young girl that lived with her family in a tribe and her father was killed by a black Wolf-Being (it's how the tribesman call the werewolves) as he and a friend of him saved the young Nella. After she reached her full age, Nella was summoned to be part of a cult where the grown up women wears a red mantle and depart from the tribe to the Great Mother's house for the Ancestors blessing to keep the Wolf-Beings away from the tribesmen. According to the Oracle, the Great Mother's house is deep inside of the forest - the same where the Wolf-Beings and other dreadful creatures lurk inside, preying upon the visitors that venture without a portion of cautiousness.
My second Youtube channel:
My other Blogspot places:
My Instagram:
Note: Don't you dare to download these images and re-share it without my permission. If you do, please, leave the original author name.
Introduction:
About fifteen full moons ago, an ancient tribe lived in what would become a forest. This tribe was known for worshiping a mystical entity whose form resembled a wolf.
When the first Red Moon rose in the sky, the people of that tribe began to transform into the image of the entity. No one knew what happened to make them become the image of the entity, but it was said that the wind carried various howls throughout the world.
One night, a small group of hunters entered the forest in search of food. And when they spotted the first deer to take back to the tribe, a huge figure appeared and devoured three of the hunters who entered that place, leaving only one of them to tell what happened. He said the creature that killed the others who went with him had the shape of a man, but the head and fur of a wolf.
And it was on that day that the tribe began to fear the wolf creature that attacked our people in the forest.
Chapter 9
William and Nella were still sitting in that part of the forest, recovering from their last encounter with the werewolves. The wind echoed through the trees, chilling the air around the travelers. Only the campfire remained lit, protecting them from the winter cold. Hvit lay on the ground, leaning against the tree near them.
During their rest, Nella and William talked about his origins and those of the werewolves after the Girl in Red had a kind of vision in her dream. Nella saw a white-furred werewolf attacking her tribe, a sign that the Chief might have some connection to the Wolf-Beings.
However, William turned his face away, afraid to tell her about his dark past. In response, he once again avoided Nella's request.
“You don't want to know about this story.”
“William, I know you won't tell me. You told me I wasn't ready to deal with all of this.”
“And you are not.”
"But I'm more than ready. I'm willing to listen to it, no matter what!"
William remained silent as Nella spoke.
“I want to know, what's your story with the Alpha, your origins as a werewolf, everything.”
The boy sighed at Nella's insistence. His eyes remained fixed on the fire, closing momentarily. Then he opened them again.
“Okay. Since you want to know so badly, I'll tell you.”
Nella settled back into her seat, paying close attention to her guardian.
“Many years ago, this forest was protected by the manifestation of the Spirit of the Great Wolf. Many hunters from several tribes came here to hunt, only to return in smaller numbers. Those who stayed behind became food for the beasts that lurk here. Those who managed to return alive were able to tell the story of their cruel encounters with those beasts, and some even returned with scratches or bites.”
The wind rustled through the leaves of the trees and Hvit's fur. The female wolf in question remained lying down, watching the two travelers.
“However, what they didn't know was that these wounds would bring misfortune to those around the hunters. One after another, they succumbed to the curse, transforming into monsters with wolf heads. They killed many people and destroyed villages.”
“And what happened to them after that?”
“They ran into the forest. Several of these monsters that had transformed under the Full Moon could not return to human form. They remained trapped under the image of the Great Wolf, gaining names such as werewolves, Wolf-Beings, Wolf-Headed Men, or even Children of the Great Wolf. Many gathered, but there was no one who could be the leader, with several disputes being waged among them.”
“With the strongest dominating the weakest,” Nella finished, looking at the flames crackling among the kindling and wood.
“Exactly. One of them emerged from among the other werewolves, taking the mantle of Alpha after defeating the competitors. Many who survived faithfully followed the Alpha werewolf, attacking those under his command.”
Nella recalled the brief story about the Wolfslayer sword and the hunter who faced the Alpha Werewolf.
“But, this Alpha Werewolf from my dream? Wasn't it the same one that faced the hunter wielding the Wolfslayer?”
“No. That was the first Alpha Werewolf, killed many years ago by the hunter who took with him the Wolfslayer – which by now is here in this forest. As for that one, the white-furred one from your dream, he took up the mantle when the pack was fragmented, broken.”
“Fragmented? Does that mean they went their separate ways after the first Alpha was killed?”
William nodded forward, responding affirmatively to Nella. “Some of them went their separate ways, wandering through the forest among unsuspecting travelers and hunters, trying to form their own packs. But most of them were reunited after the succession of the new Alpha.”
Nella listened attentively to William's story about the origin of werewolves and the Alpha. The boy's eyes expressed seriousness as he recounted the matter to his protégé.
“But there was much dissension within the pack regarding the succession of the new Alpha, with several of them trying to seize the mantle for themselves. In the end, few remained of the first generation, such as the black-furred werewolf. After him came others, like the dark-furred one, the gray-furred one, and that werewolf in the Great Mother's cabin.”
“Generations? You mean you had descendants?”
“Through the new Alpha. But it's a pretty dark story, if you're willing to hear the story.”
“I'm willing to hear that story, William,” said Nella, resolute and serious.
William settled into his spot. He then proceeded to tell the Girl in Red the story of his past.
////
Back in the girl's tribe, several people were gathered near the Chief's hut. Whispers and murmurs spread among them regarding the tribe leader's condition. Dora, Nella's mother, noticed the crowd as she made her way home. At first, she thought it was some kind of announcement from the Chief, but the way the whispers echoed from person to person caused concern in the girl's mother, who had gone into the forest.
And amidst that unrest, the last person they needed to help the tribe in the midst of that crisis appeared. The Elder approached the cluster of villagers, accompanied by the priestesses. Her presence brought some relief to the frightened people. Dora saw that elderly woman arriving in the middle of the crowd. She felt that this would be the last time she would see her.
“Elder,” called the butcher, kneeling before her. The others did the same.
The spiritual leader asked the villagers to stand up.
“I felt the winds have become edgy here. Furthermore, I received information that the Chief has been disturbed,” she replied to the man armed with the baton.
“The Chief has been acting strangely lately,” said one of the women.
“He's been avoiding us, he rarely speaks, and he's always troubled about something,” added the young man who was about to go with the other two men.
“This is serious, Elder! Something's not right with him,” the redhead added.
The Elder remained calm amidst the people's chatter, pleading for help. She gestured for the priestesses to stay behind.
“I'm going in. I'm going to talk to the Chief and see if I can help him deal with what he's going through.”
“It's too dangerous, Elder. I don't advise you to go alone,” said the butcher.
“Your concern is noted. But I'm afraid that having too many people around might make you more agitated.”
Some women wept out of fear and apprehension that the Elder would enter alone. As she approached a young girl with golden hair and green eyes, shaken by the departure, the woman placed her left hand on the girl's face and then her right, wiping the tears from the girl's eyes.
“There's no need to cry, my child. Know that you are brave enough to face any adversity that may come your way in this world.”
“I… I'll try, Elder,” said the comforted girl.
The Elder smiled at her, kissing the girl's forehead to calm her. Then she walked through the crowd, several hands outstretched, which she touched. As she made her way to the hut, she heard a voice calling her. It was Nella's mother.
“Yes, Dora?”
“Elder, if you don't return, what will we do?”
The woman in question smiled for a moment at the other woman.
“Take care of this tribe, these people. Take care of them as if they were your own sons and daughters until Nella returns from the Great Journey. I guarantee you both have much to do for the days ahead.”
Hearing this, young Nella's mother remained silent. She would care for the tribe until Nella returned. Her worry was that something might happen to her only daughter and she might never return home. However, courage began to rise in her heart.
“I understand.”
The Elder smiled one last time at Dora, then turned her gaze toward the Chief's hut. She passed through the doors, disappearing into the darkness of that place. Many people watched the scene, fearing that the spiritual leader might not return.
////
Inside, the Elder's eyes took in a scene of destruction and ruin in the main hall. Destroyed furniture, torn paintings, ruined carpets and fabrics, scratched walls, doors and windows violently opened. She calmly made her way to the stairs, climbing each step. Her white dress and long red cloak slipped among the fallen objects, sometimes snagging in the tight spaces or on splinters of wood.
Upon reaching the top of the stairs, the Elder glimpsed the Chief's room, the only place illuminated by the sun. Like the main hall, it was ruined. Wardrobe, wooden chests, rooms, carpets, window, sheets, and the bed. And speaking of the last piece of furniture, she saw a person lying on top of it. They were curled up in a fetal position. Their right hand held their injured shoulder. Their hair remained the same color: gray.
The Elder approached the Chief. She saw that his body was groaning. Whether from cold, pain, or whatever it was, the woman reached out her hand to him, even at the risk of provoking him to aggression.
“It's alright, Chief. It's me.”
Hearing her words and feeling her hand touch his shoulder, he turned around. Not angrily, but frightened.
“Elder.”
“Yes.”
“Why are you here?”
“Many people are scared, just like you. They're worried because you're acting strangely agitated.”
The Chief stood up, pulling the fur cloak up to cover his bruised shoulder. The spirit figure knew he was hiding something in those teeth marks.
“That injury of yours. Could that be what's bothering you?” the Elder asked, extending her hand to feel it. But the Chief stopped her, holding her wrist with his right hand.
“Chief, allow me to help you. I know you resist this, but there's no reason to hide it from so many people,” she said with a serene look, feeling her fingers crushing his wrist and the already soft skin.
The man still resisted opening up to her. However, he closed his eyes, releasing the Elder's wrist. He removed his coat and cloak again, revealing the bite he had received long ago. Her fingers touched that area of his body, causing discomfort. After that, she supported the rest of her hand, calming him.
“How long have you had this injury?”
“It's been years, Elder. Long before I became Chief,” he replied. His chest heaved with his breathing. The Elder's hand slid over the spot, feeling the pain that coursed through him.
“Wounds like this one should have healed a long time ago. But I feel it's not the bite of just any animal.”
The Elder's eyes remained fixed on the teeth marks. Then she closed them again, but looked at the Chief's face.
“What happened that day, Chief? What were you hunting?”
“I was in the forest with the other hunters. We were hunting deer to sustain our tribe during that winter.”
His account to the tribe's spiritual leader played in her mind. She saw every detail of the place, the man, and his companions. The Chief, who at the time was a hunter, had the physique of a 31-year-old man, with black hair and beard. He wore a coat, trousers, and fur boots. The fur protected him from the cold.
He carried a bow and arrow, while the others carried spears, bows and arrows, axes, and swords. They walked quietly so as not to make noise and scare away the deer in the area.
“There were nine of us. We searched for the best places and times to hunt deer. And that's when we spotted our target.”
The Chief and the others crept up to shoot the animal. They noticed that it hadn't realized it was being hunted, its head down, eating grass from the snow-covered ground.
But there was something approaching them. Something that moved among the shadows and the dense pine needles and trees. As it approached the place occupied by the hunters, it chose to retreat for a moment, carefully watching them. It had red eyes and dark pupils, occupying a good part of them.
“However, there was something lurking in the shadows. We didn't know what it was, and we didn't know it was behind us.”
The creature's eyes locked onto the Chief. Its pupils contracted, taking on a monstrous expression, ready to attack. It charged toward him, charging with full speed and fury.
“And it was at that moment that a creature appeared behind us, leaping towards me.”
It was a wolf. But it wasn't just any wolf. It was far too big to be the creature many people knew or had seen before. It had darker fur, more intensely red eyes, and sharp fangs capable of tearing through hard objects.
“It came towards me. It was a large black wolf with red eyes. It leaped to bite my jugular. But it grabbed my left shoulder. Many heard my scream, pleading for help as the pain became unbearable.”
The deer ran away after the attack. The other hunters rushed to pull the wolf off the Chief. They shot their arrows and spears at the creature, piercing its hide. Others arrived with their swords and axes to strike it, inflicting wounds on its back, paws, and tail.
But the wolf shook itself, pulling the men away. And with the Chief still caught in its jaw, it shook its head from side to side, throwing the wounded man far away. The snow cushioned the fall, but blood gushed forcefully from the bite, and the risk of death from shock due to hemorrhage was imminent.
“Three men ran towards me to help. They did everything they could to stop the bleeding. The other five tried to surround that wolf with their weapons.”
The Chief's tale instilled a certain fear in the Elder. She saw the other hunters risking their lives to bring down that great black wolf. The creature struggled to survive, seizing one of them by the belly with its teeth. She could hear the screams of pain and horror coming from him, being torn in two when the creature threw him to the ground, placing its paw on his legs, pulling him forcefully, ripping the hunter in two. Then, it did the same thing as the Chief. It threw the man's body far away, hitting him against a tree. Blood painted the snow-covered ground red.
The other hunters hit the creature with more arrows – trying to bring it down from a distance. However, the wolf ran towards them, crushing the other hunter with its front paws.
One of them managed to climb up through its fur, reaching its head. With his sword in hand, he delivered several piercing blows to the area around the brain, piercing the hard skull of that great wolf. The creature thrashed about, trying to throw the man off. The other two rushed to help him, but were struck by the wolf's tail and thrown far away.
“The hunters who went after the wolf were brave enough, even though they were killed, one after another. I saw that man on top of the beast, stabbing it in the head. With one blow, he managed to blind it, leaving it disoriented.”
The great wolf ran from side to side, banging its body against the trees to knock the hunter down. The man grabbed onto the creature's fur, and with his sword in hand, delivered more blows. But the last blow made him fall to the ground, rolling between his paws. Finally, he no longer had the strength to get up. The creature approached his head, biting it with its sharp teeth, tearing it from his body.
The Chief and the other three hunters were too exhausted to face the creature approaching them. They could see its closed eyes and its head covered in blood. It approached them, staggering from its wounds while growling as if to attack them. However, without reason or explanation, it chose to leave them. The wolf retreated into the interior of the forest.
“We saw that creature retreating into the forest, sparing our lives in the process. We thought it was strange that it would do that. It had killed our companions and would have killed us if we had prolonged the conflict.”
“In the end, you returned to the tribe empty-handed. Without having hunted anything to feed everyone,” said the Elder, still with her eyes closed.
“We were exhausted and worn down by the losses we suffered on our hunt.”
As the woman ran her hand over the bite inflicted by the large black wolf, new images surfaced in her mind. She saw the Chief lying on the bed, trembling and groaning in pain and fever. Several people were around him, trying to help him recover from this relentless illness. Friends, family, and others were outside the cabin, preparing to mourn, believing he wouldn't survive. His body writhed as people held him by the wrists and legs. Many of the remedies and prayers were having no effect.
“I couldn't quite understand what they were saying. It was very hectic and noisy. All I felt was fever and pain. But out of nowhere, I felt something burning harder inside me. Something that wanted to break free.”
Outside the house, amidst the Chief's reports to the Elder, one of the hunters guarding outside spotted the moon emerging from the dark night sky. It was full, shining white with a thin blue border.
Amidst the chaos, the body of the tamed man began to react. One of the people noticed hair growing on the Chief's arms and legs. White hair. His mouth was watering and his eyes were closed, his head moving in various directions. His right arm rose forcefully, freeing a hunter's hands from his wrist. This startled him. Then, they noticed his ears and mouth taking on a wolf-like appearance. Claws grew and teeth became visible between his jaw and maxilla. Fearing that the wounded man, lying on his bed awaiting death, would transform into something terrible, those people rushed to immobilize him, trying to bind him with chains and thick nails to be driven into the wooden surface of the bed.
However, they had no idea of the incredible strength that this man, transformed into a werewolf, possessed. When his eyes opened, they were no longer those of a human being, with white eyes and green irises. Everything was black. Then, he broke the chains to pieces, throwing the people on top of them far away. Some of them crashed through the fabric walls of the cabin. Others were hurled through the door, startling the guard and the other people around the place. The fabric structure disintegrated on top of the white-furred werewolf, its claws piercing the thick surface and tearing it violently. And from the center, the monster with the head of a wolf and the body of a man rose, letting out a loud howl, frightening several people.
Hunters gathered to confront it with bows, arrows, spears, swords, axes, and shields. All they achieved was meeting their deaths, as the monster unleashed numerous blows, striking them in different parts of their bodies. Throat, head, face, arms, legs, torso, and waist. Everything was torn apart, bitten, scratched, and ripped to shreds by the savagery of what was once human.
Women screamed in fear, children cried in terror, and young people trembled with dread. Everyone ran in separate directions, with the werewolf howling amidst the horrific scene. Flames that had ignited the bonfires scattered across the ground when knocked over by unsuspecting people. And amidst the horror, it leaped towards several of them, spreading terror throughout the tribe.
“It was at that moment that I couldn't stop it all. I became a monster, just like those Wolf-Beings. My hands, my mouth, and my whole body were covered in blood. My mind was shrouded in a dense fog, and I had no idea who I was anymore, much less who the people around me were.” The Chief said to the Elder. His eyes were filled with tears at the atrocities that had been committed.
With that said, the elderly woman removed her hand from the wound inflicted by the large black wolf.
“You are the Alpha Werewolf. It's no wonder you've been tormented by this story for so many years.”
The Chief nodded his head forward. “Yes. I've kept this secret for a long time. From you, from all these people, and from the Girls in Red who once went into the forest, searching for the Great Mother.”
The Elder remained silent during the Chief's speech. Her eyes expressed the horrors of the truth that man had told her.
“All those young girls, who were the same age as Nella. None of them came close enough to reach the Great Mother. They all fell into the pack's hands. Into my hands. The Great Journey is just a way for the ancients to console the families, that the girls in red cloaks would be calling upon the Spirits to save us from the werewolves.”
“By the Spirits. Do you have any idea how many lives were lost? How many young women had to be sacrificed to satisfy their primitive instincts? Just to maintain this… lie?” asked the spiritual leader, horrified to hear that.
“Yes,” replied the Chief with a different look, turned upwards. Instead of regret, it was one of accomplishment and pride. Finally, he saw her again. “And that is why she must continue. But without you!”
With that said, the Elder felt something pierce her stomach. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened, feeling the air escaping from that place. And suddenly, she looked down, spotting the Chief's right hand holding a piece of wood from the bed, piercing her already soft and weak abdomen. Blood stained her white dress as it grew larger.
The Elder gathered what little strength she had left, placing her bloodied hand on the Chief's face.
“I saw a brief memory of your children. You created them all… in your image,” the woman said in her final moments.
The man kept the wooden stake embedded in the Elder's abdomen. He showed no compassion or pity for what he had done to her. However, something caught his attention. Something disturbed him.
“Of all those you… had with your victims, only one stood out. He's not a monster like them, and… he certainly doesn't look… like you…”
In an instant, the woman fell to the floor of the room, her right hand outstretched, motionless and saying nothing more. She let out a long sigh, which extinguished several flames throughout the tribe, as if the icy winter wind had swept through with force. Several people were left wondering what had happened, but they felt the Elder's last breath echoing through the houses and huts. The priestesses knelt in mourning. Nella's mother and the others wondered why it had happened.
Still inside the cabin's room, the Chief gazed at the Elder's body, lying in that cold, ruined space. He took the wolf mantle, draped it over his shoulders over his coat. Then he descended the stairs.
////
Outside, the three grown men realized this was the time to confront the former Chief. They entered with wooden sticks to stun him if he resisted. However, all they managed to do was condemn their lives in an attempt to tame a wild beast. The man with the red beard ran with his stick towards the Chief, being thrown forcefully against the window of the main hall, falling outside the hut with shards of glass cutting his face and neck. A woman screamed in horror at the sight.
The butcher spotted the man on the last step below. He tried to grab him in a frontal attack, but the man, out of control, retaliated by grabbing his neck tightly and throwing him against a wooden column. The impact broke the butcher's spine.
The boy behind the Chief ran with the wooden weapon in his hand, striking him on the back of the neck. The blow, however, broke the smooth end of the stick. This startled him. Such a blow would have knocked him out, but the Chief was too stubborn to resist. Then, he turned violently, grabbing the boy's head and throwing it against the ground. The blow shook him, but the Chief lifted him by the head, holding it firmly with his fingertips, then slammed it repeatedly against the solid wooden floor, screaming with rage emanating from the savage man. Each blow disfigured the boy's face, breaking his nose, skin, and skull. Blood spurted out, his eyes being forcefully expelled. And with the final blow, the poor victim no longer had a face. He was an irregularly flattened sheet of flesh, the rest of his head painted red. The pool of blood grew on the spot, staining the wooden floors and the Chief's clothes.
The butcher tried to raise his left hand toward the boy. Watching the scene of the boy being pulverized to death by the Chief horrified him. His attempts to gather his strength to stand were futile because the blow had broken the bones in his spine and damaged his spinal cord, making it impossible for him to walk or work again. He then succumbed to his injuries.
As for the man who killed the Elder and the three men who entered the cabin, he was disturbed by the woman's last words in her final moments. His only son, whom he had as an Alpha Werewolf, was not like the others. And in his mind, a brief memory remained of a little boy with brown hair who had been raised by his mother many years ago. However, he believed that he had died when he fled the pack.
“Brown.” The Chief pondered the Elder's words.
However, he sensed that several other people would enter the cabin to stop him. He chose to run towards the wall of the hall, breaking it with pieces of log falling to the ground and others being ejected outside. The sound of the object being destroyed startled the people outside, with most trembling with fear of wanting to enter and a few going in with torches and spears.
The hunters didn't get a good view of the interior of that place. Three dead bodies in the main hall, destroyed furniture, scratched walls, and a hole the size of a grown man with immense physical strength. Two of them climbed the stairs, then removed the Elder's body. That was enough to send the tribe into despair and mourning for her and for those men who sacrificed themselves to stop the former Chief.
////
In the forest, Nella listened attentively to the boy's story. The sun was high in the clear blue sky, gradually setting on the horizon. Hvit remained lying down. She was a little tired, but was slowly recovering from her encounter with the werewolves.
“I don't have many memories of the time I was born here in this forest. But I remember the stories of how we were raised by the Alpha. And most of them are quite dark, quite macabre.”
“What do you mean, William?”
“Nella, you wanted to be part of the Great Journey to save your tribe, as the ancients there used to say. Am I sure about that?”
“Yes. That's true. But what does the Great Journey have to do with it?”
“Long ago, I remembered the stories of the Girls in Red entering this place in search of the Great Mother, with the duty of saving the tribe from us. However, none of them succeeded.”
The girl in the red cloak was paying attention to the story. She turned for a moment to look at Hvit. The female wolf lay resting on the ground. Her chest and ribs moved with her slow breathing. Again, she turned her attention to William.
“That was a long time ago. There was a Girl in Red, just like you. She was about your age.”
Nella imagined, through the accounts, what happened to that woman mentioned in the story told by William, taking shape through images. She had the same hair and skin color as the boy. She wore loose clothes, covered by a red cloak, leather boots, and a belt. The hood that covered her face swayed with each step she took forward.
“She was one of the first Girls in Red, sent in search of the Great Mother. She was the one who came closest.”
“Does that mean she managed to meet the Great Mother?” asked Nella.
“Yes. The woman who lived isolated in the forest told the Girl in Red that she was one of the survivors of a tribe devastated by a hunter who was bitten by the manifestation of the Great Wolf Spirit. She informed her that the werewolves were growing in number and of the forgotten sword capable of defeating the Alpha and putting an end to the attacks.” William recounted.
Nella was paying close attention to her guardian. She wondered how that woman had managed to live her entire life isolated in the forest and how she had earned the name Great Mother, with the Elder, the Chief, and others knowing of her existence. But that question would have to wait.
“And what happened after that?”
William resumed telling the story. The Girl in Red, who had been in the cabin, continued her Great Journey through the dark, cold night. Everything seemed too calm and quiet, as if she had been watched from the beginning. Finally, several lights emerged from the darkness. She thought they were the Spirits of the forest, but one of them rose, taking the form of a werewolf.
“She followed the Great Mother's instructions toward the sword. Her only mistake was believing the Spirits were protecting her. As a result, the werewolves had been watching her from the beginning, waiting for the right moment to attack.”
Nella was horrified to hear that. She felt sorry for the Girl in Red. There was no one like William to protect her or stop her from continuing on with the Great Journey. And through the accounts, she imagined that woman running away, trying to save her life. The wolf-headed monsters ran faster than her, using their upper limbs to propel themselves forward with their lower limbs. No matter how fast she tried to be, they would catch her. And that's what happened. One of them, with light brown fur, leaped towards the Girl in Red, knocking her to the ground.
“She ran as fast as she could, but the werewolves, knowing the forest well and being faster than a human, managed to catch up with her.” Then, several others surrounded her from above. Terrorized screams echoed through the trees, begging them to get off her. The woman tried to shake herself off, but it was no use. They grabbed her by the wrists, shins, and waist, preventing her from moving.
“The werewolves overpowered her as if she were easy prey, taking her to their lair. The woman tried to scream for help, but it was no use. For there was no one in that place who could hear her scream and save her.”
“Poor girl.” Nella thought to herself, frightened and horrified to hear that.
“When they arrived at the lair, several others wanted to take a piece of her, approaching the group. But they were warned that only the Alpha had the right over her.”
“What do you mean by ‘right over her’?”
“The others could hunt anything, from wild animals to humans. But only women of youthful age were to be given to him. Especially those who roamed the forest.”
Nella didn't understand why the Alpha Werewolf had made this separation regarding the hunted prey.
“Either way, they took her to a kind of altar they had erected in the lair.”
“Altar?”
“Yes. An altar dedicated to their dark ceremonies. Nearby was a statue of a large wolf, seated with its two hind legs on the ground and its right front paw raised high. Teeth were visible from its open mouth, and its eyes were fixed on the altar. Human bones were scattered around the den, likely belonging to people they had killed during hunts.”
“And what did they do with her?”
“With the Girl in Red captured and delivered to the altar, the werewolves bound her wrists and ankles with chains. Then, they climbed on top of her, scratching, biting, and tearing off every piece of her clothing, leaving her exposed to the frigid environment. At the same time, they prepared her to be received by the Alpha.”
Based on the account, the eyes of the girl who had accompanied him to that part of the forest widened. She was horrified to imagine the atrocities those monsters were carrying out, stripping the poor Girl in Red, who had been on her journey through the forest for so long.
In his memories, the woman stood naked before the monsters. Scratch marks were visible on her skin. She was terrified, trying to free herself from the metal bonds that tightened around her wrists and shins. She looked around, the werewolves filling that part of the forest. And suddenly, she heard the sound of footsteps growing louder. When she looked, she saw the pack leader. His fur was white, his eyes black, and his fangs sharp. He approached her with his cold snout, capturing the woman's scent. His snorts made her nervous, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
“The Alpha approached the Girl in Red, inhaling the scent of every detail of her body as he walked around the altar. And when she attended to his needs, he climbed onto the altar, positioning himself around her waist. And it was at this moment that the dark copulation of a werewolf with a human began.”
Hearing “copulation” startled Nella. She hadn't known that they had such a morbid obsession with human women. Especially the Alpha, since he was the progenitor of their offspring.
“Copulation?!”
“Yes. We were created through the forced, coercive, and violent union of the Alpha with the young women who were captured while undertaking the Great Journey.” William replied, knowing that the story he was telling her would be too cruel for her if Nella wasn't prepared.
The young girl could not bear to imagine that woman in such a deplorable state, held captive by werewolves and imprisoned on the altar, her womb being taken in an invasive and violent way. The first Girl in Red in William's history felt his body and groin rubbing forcefully against her waist. His hands gripped the stone slab just above her shoulders. She groaned and screamed in pain, feeling his body crushing her womb. In an instant, his torso and head rose, a loud howl being released, followed by several others. A sign that he had deposited his seed in his new prisoner.
“The Girl in Red felt she would have to carry the Alpha's new child, otherwise her life would be forfeit if anything happened to the developing infant. It had happened before that some women kidnapped by them were killed for failing to bear a child strong and worthy of him. Either by the claws of those monsters, or by being abandoned naked in the middle of the frozen forest, or thrown into the currents.”
“I knew werewolves were cruel. But to this extent? They're nothing more than monstrous creatures.” said Nella, her eyes brimming with tears.
“For that reason I wanted to spare you from this. To stop you from continuing on the Great Journey in search of the Great Mother and the Wolfslayer,” William said with a serious expression, gradually changing as he saw the tears streaming down Nella's face. The girl burst into tears.
“And the… Great Journey, which I once believed was to save our people, was it all a lie? Were we being prepared to be captured by werewolves and used to create new monsters?” Nella asked, crying and covering her face with her hands.
William approached Nella, placing his left hand around her shoulders and pulling her close. Hvit joined them, keeping them company.
“Nella, I know how much you suffered at their hands, just as you know how much I suffered.”
“Did you?”
“Yes. Because the Girl in Red from the story I told you was my mother.”
Hearing William saying that the woman kidnapped and raped by the Alpha was his mother, the girl was frightened and felt a little sorry for him.
“Your mother? And… What happened to her?”
“She managed to bring me into this world, despite the circumstances. It was a cold night. Several werewolves had to stay around her to protect her and me from the cold during my birth. When I was born, she held me to her chest, but saw that I had transformed into them, then into a human newborn, crying from hunger and fear,” he replied, a tear running down his face.
Nella sensed the sadness emanating from the boy's heart. She hugged him, pulling him close to her body.
“She raised me until I was two years old. That's when they took her from me. I could hear her screams. I… I wanted to go after them, but I couldn't. Instead, I ran far away. I fought against all the adversities of this forest that came my way, until I was discovered by Hvit. She raised me and protected me until I became a young adult.”
“It wasn't by chance that she was around. She felt your fear, your sadness, and your loss, just as she felt my fear and sadness when I got lost in the forest,” she said, stroking William's hair during their embrace.
“Yes. Hvit has always been a kind of mother, guardian, and guide, willing to protect us from the dangers of this forest.”
As she spoke of her, the female wolf rubbed her head against Nella and William, being pulled close to them in a cozy embrace.
“Since then you have traveled all over the forest. And how did you learn about our customs and how to speak?”
“During our travels, we met the Great Mother. She made these clothes for me and taught me some things about you. The only difficult part was feeding myself, since I had become accustomed to Hvit's way of hunting for food.”
Hearing that, Nella smiled. Although it had been unpleasant at first, especially after that episode with the deer, the human girl had accepted the reality of her guardian.
“William, you said that the Great Mother came from a tribe that no longer exists. How did she end up here in the forest?”
“She told me she was a kind of spiritual leader, just like her Elder. She wandered in the forest after receiving the spirits of the forest, guiding her here. Now, how she lived her whole life here, alone and without anyone of the same kind, I don't know how to answer that,” replied the brown-haired boy.
“Right. And at some point she told you about the sword.”
“Yes. And perhaps he even met the hunter who faced the first Alpha Werewolf.”
“For that reason, she was killed by them.”
“Yes. The Alpha knew of the Great Mother's existence. That's why he sent the Lone Wolf to kill her. But the problem is that he wanted to kill you too, going against the orders of the pack leader.”
“And it was the moment you left me. You knew he was there in the cabin.”
“The Great Mother was already dead before you entered the forest. And the reason I didn't go in with you was my own nature. During full moon nights, me and the others are forced to transform and cannot assume human form until dawn or when the moon is not present in the sky. But we can transform at any time of day, even if the strength of our powers is diminished.”
Although the ancients said they could transform during the full moon, few occasions proved to be exceptions. Like that time when Nella saw William transforming before the black-furred werewolf. The same monster that killed Stephen, Nella's father.
“However, there are those who cannot return to human form after being transformed into those monsters. An example of this is the Black Werewolf.”
The young girl in the red cloak glanced at the bonfire momentarily. She saw the flame still burning the remaining wood, swaying high in the air and releasing sparks and crackling sounds. She thought of everyone she knew. Especially her mother, the Elder, the other people, and the Chief.
Amidst all that, she heard the boy's voice calling her name.
“Nella.”
Hearing him call her by name, Nella turned around.
“I know it wouldn't do any good to tell you to give up the sword and all this. After all, we're close to reaching it,” said the boy, turning his body towards the entrance to the mountain pass. Nella followed his gaze, seeing the same thing he did.
“I know, William. I know I had every chance to come back. But my mother used to tell me that we shouldn't look back while we're halfway there,” she replied. She turned her gaze to the boy, with one last answer for him.
“That's why we're going to find the Wolfslayer and go after the Alpha.”
William nodded forward, responding affirmatively to Nella. “I'll go with you. You'll need help facing the others and my father.”
Nella smiled. “Thank you, William. For always being by my side, protecting me from anything that comes my way on this journey.”
“You're welcome, Nella,” replied the young brown-haired boy. Hvit walked close to him, stroking her head on her legs, and she responded by running her fingers through the female wolf's fur. “Well, we need to rest. Especially you, for taking care of us while we were injured.”
“You're right, William.”
Nella got up from the ground and made her way to a suitable place to lie down near the campfire. William and Hvit settled down near the tree trunk they had used to sit and talk with Nella. The boy added more kindling to the fire to keep it burning.
Then he lay down on the floor, looking at Nella, sleeping peacefully. Her chest moved as she breathed. Her left arm supported her head. The boy's eyes remained open, seeing her face and her lips, slightly flushed red, parted in anticipation of a kiss.
William grew a little nervous seeing those lips. He had never experienced these sensations before, like being in love with someone of the same species. Specifically, a human girl who was beautiful and had the kind of patient, calm, and courageous personality that Nella had.
The commotion was so great that he stood up and went towards Nella. He avoided taking quick or heavy steps that might wake her. He placed his heel on the ground first, then the rest of his foot, one after the other. Hvit looked at him. She remained lying down and quiet with the boy near the Girl in Red.
Standing close to her, William leaned forward, close to Nella's face, about to press his lips to hers. However, she shifted slightly, trying to settle down on the floor to sleep. The boy recoiled for a moment, but calmly moved towards her, giving her a light and gentle kiss. Nella didn't react with fright or anger to the kiss, but she didn't reciprocate because she was asleep.
William moved away from her, returning to his place to settle down on the ground and sleep. The sound of the campfire emanated around them, its flame flickering around the kindling. That night, the travelers continued sleeping in order to recover their strength for the next journey.
-x-
Main page where you can find available chapters (Das Mädchen in Rot):
Previous chapter:
Next chapter:
.jpg)
.jpg)
Comentários
Postar um comentário